Scarlet Secrets
by Peter Rabid
Summary: When Megan Harlnott finds out that she's the twin sister of one Harry Potter, she's going to have to give up everything to protect him. And she's not allowed to tell him either. This is going to get difficult... [DISCONTINUED]
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey all. This is my first fan fiction. I know, super cliché plot. Just bear with me! Hopefully my OC is not a Mary Sue. I hate this prologue, but my little brother is encouraging me to upload it anyway. Anywho, please read and review and I will give you a virtual taco! XD

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Prologue

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Secrets. I've never been fond of them, yet I've kept secrets for months on end with no one the wiser. I suppose I have some sort of weird talent. To keep up a mask, a façade of lies for that long requires a lot of natural-born skill. I don't mean to brag, but I've always been clever.

I figured it out when I was ten. It wasn't that hard to see. My birthday was the same as his, and I had the same odd scar- although mine held the shape of a crescent moon. I don't suppose you know what I'm talking about. Well, maybe if I were direct it would simplify everything.

My name is Megan Harlnott, and I am the twin sister of one Harry Potter.

Surprised? You should be. Only seven are privy to this secret. One, of course, is me, though I wasn't supposed to know until Dumbledore told me (thus his surprise when I told him I already knew). The second is Dumbledore himself, and he also informed my adoptive parents in a letter when he so graciously bestowed me upon them (coughdumpedmeontheirdoorstepcough). The fifth is an Unspeakable by the name of Marlee Jones, down at the Department of Mysteries. Merlin knows how she got dragged into this. The sixth is my pet snake, Ophion, in who I confide everything. Yes, I am a parselmouth. Don't be hatin' on the snakes. Hem. Sorry. That sounded horribly wannabe-gangsta. Anyway....

The seventh and final person to know my secret is- ...you, dear reader.

You thought I was going to say Harry. No. He has no clue. For all he knows, I'm just that weird girl who always seems to be right around the corner. Yes, I stalk him. _Not like that you gutterheads! _It's completely platonic. I don't really sponsor incest, or twincest for that matter.

It's my job to stalk Harry. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but I got good at it. You'll see.

So those are the seven people (or snakes in some cases) that are aware that there was a second Potter child. Everyone else, from James and Lily's closest friends to their co-workers, has had their memories modified. Dumbledore said that it took him a month to pull it off. And I must say I am impressed. It was probably the greatest feat of mass-obliviation in the history of magic-kind.

You're probably lost. Why would Dumbledore go to such lengths to make sure no one remembered me? I'll tell you. I'll tell you the story of my first year, of awkward relationships and alchemical stones. I'll tell you everything while it's still fresh in my mind. After all, it's summer break, only a few weeks after the fact, and there's no Harry to spy on, so I have plenty of time on my hands.

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A/N: REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!.........pweaze? *puppy dog eyes*


	2. Discoveries

**A/N: Whee! 57 hits and two reviews! Not bad! :D So, the new chappie starts off our actual story. Enjoy!  
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**Thanks to reviewers:** imdeadsothere **and** zanessaluver64**! You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. 'Kay?  
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Chapter 1

Discoveries

I grew up with Dana and Marco Harlnott in the magical underground of Los Angeles, California. And I mean literally underground. The muggles of L.A. have no clue that some fifty feet beneath their houses there lies the magical community of Las Hadas, California. We often go to work and such on the surface, and we aren't really restricted to Las Hadas, as long as we wear muggle clothing when we go out.

But in the Underground (as it's often called) there's two-hundred or so houses and Side Way, a street crammed with magical shops and restaurants. We have everything we need. My childhood friends, Aiden Drestly and Lea Juarez, and I used to hang out at the shops on Side Way, especially the bookshop, Paige and Storry's, and the magical electronics store (a blending of muggle and wizarding technology), called Wires. We were close back then, before Aiden went to SpellLight Wizarding Academy, Lea was sent off to Salem Witches Institute, and I left for Hogwarts in the U.K. We still get together during the summer, but we don't see as much of each other.

I had just turned ten. It was like any other day- unless you count discovering you are the long lost relative of a famous British boy a normal part of your routine. But I digress. Mother held my birthday party on the Saturday after my actual birthday, so that it was more convenient for Aiden and Lea's parents. It wasn't really a party, more like a get-together with two friends and a sleepover involving staying up until two o'clock, watching all three Star Wars movies while everyone belted out smart-ass comments at the screen, and throwing candy at each other to get them to shut up. Or just throwing candy at each other for fun.

At eleven pm, at a stop between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, Aiden and Lea forced me to open their presents, which I did begrudgingly. I don't like opening gifts, because saying "thank-you" feels very awkward for me, just like saying "I forgive you" is equally strained. But I had to open them sometime, and Aiden was in quite the eager mood, so I did.

Aiden had bought me a picture frame ("To remember me by when you two are off at Salem"), with a photo of the three of us at Canter's, one of my favorite muggle restaurants. Aiden was wolfing down a hot pastrami sandwich without really noticing that the photographer was there, while Lea smiled shyly and nibbled at her garden burger. I was holding up a Monte Cristo and moving my lips. Though no sound came from them, I knew I was saying, "The mother of all sandwiches!" I smiled a wide grin and set the photo to the side, thanking Aiden loudly. He sat back with a smug grin, and whispered, "Beat that!" to Lea.

She smiled evilly at him, and handed over her rectangular gift. I knew immediately that it was a book. What else could I expect from Lea the bookworm? When I ripped off the colored paper, I found it was two books. One was a flimsy paperback, the cover portraying a the silhouette of a palm tree in front of the setting sun and the words "Atlanta Nights." My eyes grew huge and I literally jumped on her.

"Lea! No way! Atlanta Nights! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She was surprised at my energy, but hugged back and shot Aiden a nasty smile over my shoulder. Lea can be quite sadistic when she wants to be.

The other book was titled "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts," by a British author. I was slightly less enthusiastic about that one, but it looked interesting nonetheless.

Aiden threw a Reese's peanut butter cup at Lea's head. She caught it deftly (what else could you expect from a Seeker?) and popped it into her mouth smugly, inserting the third Star Wars movie into the player as she did so. Aiden glared at her. Lea only gets so cynical when she's on a sugar high. Discreetly, I moved the candy bowl away from her, and settled back in my purple beanbag to watch the movie.

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Later that night, we were all spread-eagled across the floor, having fallen asleep during the final battle in front of the with the Ewoks, not even bothering to get comfortable in our sleeping bags. I awoke at five am to a sharp pain in my lower back. I pulled out the hard-back book that was "The Rise and Fall," which I had apparently rolled onto during the night.

Rubbing my back, I flicked the book open to the contents, grabbing my book light from the stand near the couch and curling up on the cushions. I was wide awake by then. I can do that. As soon as I wake up I'm totally ready for anything. It gets kind of annoying, because sometimes I can't go back to sleep.

I glanced over at Aiden and Lea, arranged on the floor in what couldn't have been a comfortable position.

My hazel eyes surveyed the contents.

_Acknowledgements_

_Preface- The Importance of the Dark Arts_

_Chapter 1- What is Dark Magic?_

_Chapter 2- The Unforgivables_

_Chapter 3- Early Dark Wizards_

_Chapter 4- The Rise of Gellert Grindelwald_

_Chapter 5- World War II_

_Chapter 6- Albus Dumbledore and the Fall of Grindelwald_

_Chapter 7- A Period of Peace_

_Chapter 8- The Rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_

_Chapter 9- What are Death Eaters?_

_Chapter 10- Key Fighters for the Light_

_Chapter 11- The Decline of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_

_Chapter 12- Harry Potter and the Fall of You-Know-Who_

_Chapter 13- The Aftermath_

_A Timeline of Events_

_Epilogue_

Interesting. Harry Potter? The name sounded vaguely familiar. I looked up chapter 12, and began to read.

_Harry Potter was born to James and Lily Potter (see chap. 10) on July the thirty-first, 1980._

I cocked my head to the side, and grinned at the coincidence. That was my birthday, too! And my middle name was Lily.

_James Potter was an Auror for some time, responsible for the arrest of several known Death Eaters. Lily Evans Potter was a Healer at St. Mungo's for two years before going into hiding with her husband and their son, Harry. The two were outspoken advocates for the light, and close allies of Albus Dumbledore. It was discovered that the Dark Lord was hunting them, so they went underground after having their baby. Later it would be known that they were living in a house in Godric's Hollow._

_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not cease the hunt for the Potters. Though it is not clear as to how, he obtained the location of their hideaway. On the night of Halloween of '81, he attacked them in their own home. James Potter was killed, then his wife. He attempted to murder their one-year-old son, Harry James Potter as well._

_For reasons unknown, yet miraculous, the baby survived the Killing Curse, the only one to do so in the history of wizard-kind. The curse instead rebounded upon the caster and You-Know-Who was no more. Harry Potter was left only with a scar upon his forehead, in the shape of a lightning-bolt._

I read the last sentence in shock. A scar on his forehead? But I had... No way. I traced the odd moon shape beneath my red bangs. How strange.... I read on.

_To this day, Harry Potter is known as the Boy Who Lived, being the first to survive the_ Avada Kedavra _curse. No one knows how it happened. But it brought about the downfall of one of the cruelest and most dangerous Dark Lords ever known, and for that Harry Potter will always be famous._

The text continued on, but I had already set aside the book and rested my chin on my knees. I always sit like that when I'm thinking. I don't know why, but it's relaxing and helps me focus better.

Harry James Potter. He and I had a lot in common. Too much for it to be a coincidence. We were both born on July 31, 1980. My middle name was Lily, which happened to be his mother's name. And we both had a scar on our foreheads- a curse scar?

I was adopted. I had known that ever since Dana and Marco had told me when I was eight. But in those two years, no matter how much I begged, they would never divulge a thing about my real parents. Only that they had received me when their English friends (my parents) when they died in a car crash. When I was one year old. I had always wondered who they were and now- my eyes flashed nervously towards the open book at my side.

What was the surname of my real parents again? I had never really bothered with it before, but Dana had told me once a long time ago. It started with 'P.' Patterson? Porter? It could have been Potter.

I scoffed at myself. I was being stupid. There was no way. A long-lost twin brother that happened to have brought about the downfall of a powerful Dark Lord? It seemed too far-fetched to be true. It couldn't be true. How could no one have known about me? With a click I turned off the book light and settled back with my friends on the floor. And that was the end of it, I told myself.

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Of course it wasn't. For the next week or so, Harry Potter was the only thing on my mind. I was totally out of it.

On the second Sunday of August, I couldn't get out of bed. I just lay there, staring at the plastered ceiling, vacantly thinking that there must have been a leak there once because in one spot the color was yellower than the rest of the ceiling. Ophion, my snake, slithered out from under my bed, blinking languidly in the sun streaming in from the window. It was eleven-fifty. Ten minutes away from noon.

/Prepubescence,/ he hissed. /It only gets worse from here./

I rolled over and looked down at him. Biting back a grumpy remark, I sat up groggily and glared at him.

I found Ophion in Dana's terrace garden on the roof three years ago. He never told me how he had gotten up there, and I never really asked. Ophion was a common garden snake, a harmless little reptile, though I would never say that to his face. He always liked to impress me with the length of his fangs and how "vicious" he looked. I never denied it. Dana and Marco had no clue that I kept him in my room, let alone that I was a Parselmouth. I used to set traps for rats and mice in the alleys of the Underground (Merlin knows there are plenty), but after a few months I just let him out during the night. Somehow he managed to find his way back every morning. Like I said before, I didn't ask how. There is such a thing a serpent etiquette, and Ophion would find it quite rude if I inquired into his secrets.

/Morning,/ I grumbled.

/Hardly,/ he responded, winding his way up one of the bed's feet and onto my bedspread. He curled around my arm, something I had gotten quite used to over the years. I settled back into my pillow, and we were both silent for a while.

On impulse, I asked, /Ophion?/

/What?/ he hissed. Ophion was not a morning serpent either.

/Do you know anything about/- I paused and bit my lip- /Harry Potter?/

Ophion rested his head on my shoulder, and if snakes could sigh, I'm sure he would have. /How could I not know of him? He ended the reign of the Dark Lord./ I noticed that he said the last to words with hissing fury. /That bastard Voldemort. Used a serpent for everything, you know. His insignia was a horribly grotesque snake and skull. Voldemort was a Parselmouth too. Him and Salazar Slytherin, both pureblood, high-and-mighty bastards. Going around giving honest snakes like me a bad name. Good riddance, I say,/ he spat.

/So snakes aren't allied with You-Know-Who?/ I asked, somewhat surprised.

Ophion blinked. It was amazing how much emotion he could get across with that one action, and how it could actually vary. This blink was more of a shrug. /Sure, some were. Voldemort- and please call him by his name, You-Know-Who is just ridiculous- kept a big snake by the name of Naga or Nagini or something like that. But anyway, what's this about Potter?/

/Oh nothing,/ I hissed, regretting having brought it up. /I've just been thinking about him lately. You know we share the same birthday?/

The garden snake slipped off of my arm. /Is that so?/ He suddenly seemed... uncomfortable.

/Do you know anything about my scar?/ I said suddenly, pushing back my red bangs to reveal the mark. Ophion's apprehension doubled.

/I can't say I do,/ he answered slowly.

/Ophion, you would tell me if I was somehow closely related to Harry Potter, wouldn't you?/

/Of- of course I would, Megan... /

/'Phion./

/Yes?/

/You've never been a good liar./

He didn't respond. After a minute or two of silence, I got up and stumbled towards my dresser, pulling on a red T-shirt and jeans. Fixing my short red hair in the mirror, I tried to ignore the awkward feeling that hung in the air. Ophion said nothing until my sneakers were on and I had one hand on the doorknob.

/You weren't supposed to find out until he told you,/ he hissed, almost inaudibly.

Butterflies jumped in my stomach and my hands suddenly got clammy. So it really was true! But... how? I voiced my thoughts.

/You're his twin,/ said Ophion. /You were sent to Las Hadas, and he was sent to your aunt and uncle's. That's all there is to it./

/But how come no one knows about me?/ I burst out.

/Memory charm. No one remembers your existence./

I stared at the reptile in shock. /But why?/

/You'll find out soon enough,/ he said enigmatically, and with that he slithered back onto the floor and under my bed. No matter how much I cajoled him, he didn't hiss another word for the rest of the day.

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A/N: Okay**, **so I have no clue how to write a textbook, or something like it. I hope it wasn't too boring, but then again, what textbook isn't? YAY OPHION'S IN THIS CHAPPIE! I think Megan's friends are pretty two-dimensional, but I dunno. Tell me what you think.**


	3. Letters and Meetings

**A/N: Is this *gasp* an UPDATE?!?!?! Why yes, yes it is. After something like eight months, I've finally gotten back to this story. And I have no excuse. Other than I really just wasn't in a Harry Potter mood. Last summer I went through a HUGE Star Trek phase after seeing the newest movie. Only recently, I've gotten back into HP. I'M SORRY!!! BLAME SPOCK AND DATA!!!! Yeah well, only five people have even added this story to their alerts, so it's not like I had a billion people on my back about updating. For those who I've kept waiting for so long, I apologize but I did tell you updates would be sporadic. REALLY sporadic. My muse just whacked me about the head a day ago and told me to get cracking, so you _can_ expect more updates within a month.**

**IMPORTANT: I would go back and re-read if I were you. You probably forgot what the hell this story was about. Plus, I tweaked a few little things, just to make things more believable. Don't worry, nothing major.**

**Thanks to reviewers: **imdeadsothere, BlackBloodRose64, Blue Jewl, **and** Fishy. **You guys are the best!**

**Enjoy!

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Chapter 2  
Letters and Meetings

So ever since my tenth birthday I knew of my shady heritage. A few days later, I thanked Lea a little more enthusiastically for the second book. "It proved to be very informative," I had said, flashing her a wide smile.

There were still some mysteries, but I never got anything out of Ophion or my adoptive parents, though I dropped some rather large hints and they never noticed a thing. I supposed I would just have to wait until someone- the 'he' that the snake had mentioned- explained everything in detail. I still hated being left in the dark.

Life went on. Lea, excited about our upcoming first year at Salem ("Jesus, Lea, we're not even eleven yet), dragged me out to Paige and Storry's nearly every day in an attempt to read ahead. By the time we left she would have read all the curriculum up to fourth year, if it weren't for Aiden. He interrupted us in one of our study sessions (which mostly involved Lea reading intently and me hiding a comic book behind _Gamp's Laws of Transfiguration_ and also reading intently, but not really what I was supposed to) and asked if we wanted to play Quidditch. Lea's eyes lit up. If there was one thing she would abandon books for, it was playing Seeker. I nearly threw myself at Aiden's feet for coming to my rescue.

So our days settled into a routine. We would study until two or so, we'd go out to play on the public Quidditch pitch, with its simulated wind and sunlight (which wasn't too bad seeing as how it was underground), and then we would hit Side Way. Mostly we spent our time in Wires, ogling the new Metallica self-titled album, or in AH (American Honeyduke's) a branch famous in the UK, salivating over chocolates and other tooth-rotting candies.

Our routine was filling, and it kept my mind occupied. When my eleventh birthday came, I had nearly forgotten about Harry Potter and was shocked when I offhandedly thought, "Happy birthday, Harry."

That year we went up to the surface, went to a movie theater and watched "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead." It was quite entertaining and I mean that in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 kind of way. The kind of movie you laugh at not because it's funny, but because it's so awful.

We went to my place after the movie, and hung out in the living room, playing Monopoly until six o'clock. Aiden left soon after losing quite fantastically, and Lea followed him, remarking that we should be getting our letters from Salem Witches Institute soon.

The next morning, Marco made waffles and fruit salad. I grinned, helping myself to liberal amounts of maple syrup.

"Good morning, Dad." I still called them mom and dad, but I didn't think of them as such.

Marco smiled distractedly, setting the fresh fruit on the table between Dana and I. I looked at him suspiciously. He looked flustered. "Um, sweetie,"- Did he just say 'um'? He never said 'um.'- "The- the mail's on the coffee table. I think there's something there for you."

My eyes lit up. Of course! My Salem letter! I nearly ran to the living room, snatching the pile of envelopes and shuffling through them. Bill, bill, bill... Aha!

It was a thick yellow envelope addressed to me-

_Miss M. Harlnott  
__The Upstairs Bedroom__  
237 North Reed Avenue  
Las Hadas, CA, USA_

I turned it over. There, sealing the envelope, was not the expected pointed crossed wands set against a blue shield, the insignia of Salem Witches Institute. Instead, the wax seal depicted a quartered coat of arms, with an eagle, a lion, a badger, and a snake, circling a bold letter 'H.' I cocked my head to the side and plopped down on the couch.

What was this? With trembling fingers, I broke the seal and slid out the folded letter.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chr. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Ms. Harlnott,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_We understand that your case is a strange one, and Headmaster Dumbledore would like to meet with you at the Red Hat café on Side Way. He will be explaining any questions you may have on the subject of your last minute transferring from Salem Witches Institute to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Meet him at the Red Hat on Saturday the third of August, four o'clock on the dot. You may bring your parents, but the headmaster wishes to speak to you in private._

_Term begins on 1 September. If you accept the conditions that Headmaster Dumbledore presents you with, we await your owl by no later than 7 August, with a signed permission slip from a legal guardian._

_Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress_

My heart plummeted into my stomach. "I'm cornfuzzled," I said to no one in particular, without being able to stop myself. It was a rolling joke with my friends. If they were here I'm sure Aiden would have laughed, but Lea would have been just as silent and cornfuzzled as I was.

Slowly, I got up, my eyes still fixed on the parchment, and walked back to the kitchen. I looked up into the worried eyes of Dana and Marco and repeated my earlier statement. Dana smiled, happy to see I could still crack a joke, but Marco just motioned for me to sit down. I did so.

"I don't get it," I said. "Why am I supposed to go to Hogwarts. I thought I was going to Salem?"

Marco sighed. "Something came up, Megan. I'm sorry. Professor Dumbledore will explain on Saturday."

I shook my head silently and stared back at the letter. "But- but what about Lea? It's bad enough Aiden can't go to Salem, now I can't either? We'll all be separated!"

Dana put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll make new friends at Hogwarts."

"I don't want new friends!" I yelled, close to tears. "I've known Lea and Aiden since- since forever!"

"We don't expect you to understand yet, sweetheart, but you will."

I stared at Marco. "I don't get it! Why can't you just tell me what's going on?"

"W-we just can't, Megan," said Dana, and I could see she was on the verge of tears as well. "I wish we could, but we can't."

I glanced from Dana's distraught face, to Marco's hardened resolve. I felt white hot anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach, and I just lost it. "FINE!" I screamed. "FINE, I GUESS WHATEVER IT IS, YOU JUST CAN'T TRUST ME!"

With that, I dropped my fork with a clatter and scrunched up the letter in my fist, stomping out of the room and up the stairs. Slamming the door shut, I threw myself onto my bed. I didn't cry. I just lay there, face-down and motionless, one hand stuffed under my pillow, the other clasping the wrinkled parchment. For a few minutes I didn't think about anything, until I heard a hiss in my ear, and suddenly Ophion was coiled around my arm.

/What was that about?/ he asked, disgruntled. I had probably woken him with my screams.

Feeling slightly ashamed, I mumbled an apology into the pillow. Though I couldn't see it, I knew he shot me a glare.

/Sure. Still, what was the screaming for?/

I rolled over and smoothed out the paper, showing it to him. He looked at it for a while, then sent me another glare. /I can't read. I am a snake, you know./

Embarrassed, I told him what it was and what it said. I saw comprehension dawn in the reptile's eyes. When I asked him what it was about, he said, /I'm not sure./

It was my turn to shoot him a dirty look. Seeing that I was not in a patient mood, he did his sort of snaky sigh and said, /I think it has something to do with your brother. He lives in the UK, you know. Other than that, I have no clue what it's about./

Oh. Yeah. Duh. I should have drawn that parallel too.

/Whatever it is, I'm sure Dumbledore will explain it on Saturday./

/Yeah,/ I grumbled. /Or he'll just feed me more lies./

Ophion said nothing, closing his eyes and dropping off to sleep. Sometimes I wondered how he could fall asleep so quickly or if he was just faking it.

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I showed the letter to Aiden and Lea the next day. My female friend was obviously as upset as I was. We had been very hyped to be going to Salem together, and SpellLight Wizarding Academy was only forty or so miles away from there. Sometimes the girls of the Witches Institute would take field trips to visit their brother school, so claimed Lea's older sister. We were going to be together, all three of us, but now that I was headed to Hogwarts... I might not see them again until the summer, or hopefully Christmas break.

"I'll talk to this Dumbledore person," I said. "Maybe there was a mix-up, or something."

"Yeah, or something," whispered Aiden.

Saturday approached rapidly, though I dearly wished it wouldn't. On the morning of my meeting with Albus Dumbledore, I pulled on my sports sweats and a blue Weird Sisters T-shirt. I chose to dress muggle that day, for what reason I had no fathomable clue. Lea came over to say hi in the morning, and began fussing over my hair.

"You can't go see Albus Dumbledore looking like that! He's possibly the greatest wizard of the century!" Adjusting her glasses, she pushed me over to a mirror.

"Lea, I don't care how he sees me," I groaned. "He's hiding something from me and I don't feel like respecting him for it!"

Lea looked at me with a weird expression on her face. "Hiding something? What makes you think that?"

"Well..." I kicked myself mentally. I hadn't told her about Harry, and he was one of the main reasons for my uneasiness about going to Hogwarts. I had a feeling Dumbledore knew something about him. "I don't know. I just have this feeling."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."

I looked away.

"Whatever," she said dismissively, grabbing a hairbrush from the dresser. "You still need to look presentable."

So she french-braided my shoulder-length red hair, and tied it up with a scarlet ribbon. She forced me to change from my T-shirt and sweats to fiery red dress robes. "There," she said, switching my brown sneakers (which at the time of purchase had been a gleaming white) for a pair of black dress shoes. Thank god they weren't high-heels.

"Do I have to wear this all day," I whined. "I'm meeting him at four you know." I pointed to the digital clock by my bed, flashing ten o'clock.

"Yes, you have to wear it all day," she said, and dragged me out the door and down the street to Paige and Storry's.

The rest of the day followed routine, except for much taunting from Aiden ("I love the color, matches your hair and your demon eyes." He pulled the braid rather sharply and I hit him in the stomach) and having to wait it out while the other two played Quidditch with the other neighborhood kids. I hated it, and soon found myself resenting both Lea and Dumbledore.

Three-thirty rolled around and we all went to the Red Hat early to eat a late lunch. I picked at my salad sullenly.

"I don't feel well," I whined to Lea. "Maybe I should go home and lie down."

"Or maybe you should stay here and shut up," commented the other girl. Aiden just smiled, and changed the subject to AQA, the American Quidditch Association.

"I hear the Chicago Chimaeras lost to the Hurricanes last week."

Soon, I forgot my growing dread at the steadily approaching meeting. We three could talk Quidditch until our tongues fell off, and we never got tired of it. My personal favorite team was the San Jose Sphinxes, and my heroine was the star chaser, Saralynn Hortz. They were awesome on offense, but their seeker was absolute crap at the game, so the only way they won was if they were up by 150 points before the snitch was caught, and thanks to Hortz, that actually happened quite often.

Aiden disagreed with me though. His team was the Hawaiian Hurricanes, and he claimed that they could thrash the Sphinxes. Their keeper, a guy named Freed, never let a Quaffle get past him, and although their chasers sucked, their seeker caught the Snitch every time.

Lea smiled as she watched us squabble, occasionally egging on whichever one of us seemed to be winning the argument, until we were at each other's throats.

I relaxed as we slid into our familiar AQA talk. I nearly forgot why I was there until the waitress interrupted our discussion.

"'Scuse me, miss."

I looked up into the twenty-or-so-old server's green eyes.

"The old man in the corner–" she pointed at a table in a secluded corner of the Red Hat –"wants to talk to you."

My heart jumped in my chest and I turned to look at Aiden's encouraging smile. Taking a few deep breaths, I stood and made my way to the table where my educational career would be decided.

My first impression of Albus Dumbledore was that he looked extremely ridiculous. Clad in orange and purple robes, with a flowing white beard and a pointed cap, he looked precisely like the Muggle stereotype of a wizard. I nearly laughed out loud when I took in his half-moon glasses, twinkling blue eyes, and benign smile. It was just too funny. But I kept a straight face and sat down opposite him, folding my hands and biting the inside of my cheek.

"Good afternoon, sir," I said. I didn't look directly at him, so I didn't see him smile as he pushed a tin of candies beneath my nose.

"Care for a lemon drop, Miss Harlnott?"

At once, I knew I could like this guy. Despite the fact that he was ruining my life, I couldn't help but succumb to the sour treats. I grabbed three and shoved them into my mouth, looking up to see his reaction.

"My, my," he said, eyes twinkling merrily. "I do say no one has been quite so eager to accept my offer before. Although perhaps it is the fact that I mention they are Muggle sweets. Some wizards find themselves above Muggle candies."

"The nerve!" I exclaimed, sucking on the lemon drops. "I think lemon drops and Reese's peanut butter cups surpass even the best of Honeyduke's chocolates."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well I wouldn't know about these Reese's."

"Oh, you must have some, sir. They're absolutely heavenly. And addicting." It took me a few moments to realize that I was joking around with the greatest wizard of the century. Something about him just made me forget why I was mad at him. I decided to steer the conversation back on track. "But sir. I do have some questions."

The man nodded, straightening up and putting on a much more serious face. This was the Albus Dumbledore I imagined. "Yes, of course. Did your parents come with you?"

I shook my head. "Mom and Dad were busy, but they told me to tell you that they send you their regards."

He smiled lightly and nodded. "I do believe you have more than some questions, Miss Harlnott."

"Yes, sir," I said, hesitantly. "Why aren't I going to Salem?"

"Well," he sighed. "There is actually something I need to tell you. Yours is a special case."

"Sir," I said, deciding to avoid any awkward revelations that weren't really revelations, "I already know about Harry."

For what seemed to me like the first time in the man's life, shock spread across Albus Dumbledore's face. He seemed about to choke on his lemon drop. It was only there for a split second and after a moment he regained his composure and settled back. "Oh." This word seemed so foreign on his lips. "Well, that works out several complications. May I ask how you found out?"

"It was rather obvious, no offense sir," I said, sucking on my lemon drops. "You could have glamored my scar. I think that's what really tipped me off. Otherwise I would have taken the shared birthdays as a coincidence."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Yes. I suppose that would have been a good idea." He looked at me curiously. "Already know about glamors, do you? You must be very bright. Just like your mother."

I colored slightly. "Thank you," I said quietly. "My friends and I– we like to read together."

He looked to the far table, where Lea and Aiden were whispering to each other, and shooting us nervous glances. "Those are your friends?"

"Aiden Drestly and Lea Juarez."

There was a silence.

"Sir, I do want to know why I can't go to Salem Institute with Lea. Aiden's going to SpellLight. We were going to be together..." I trailed off.

The elderly wizard looked at me seriously. "I thought a family reunion of a sorts might be in order."

My breath caught in my throat and I choked on my lemon drops. "Does Harry know about me?" I blurted out after a lot of coughing.

He shook his head. "No, he does not. And you must not tell him."

I cocked my head to the side. "Why not?"

"All will reveal itself in due time," he said, steepling his fingers. I snorted. What kind of an answer was that? "As I stated before, you are a special case, Miss Harlnott. May I call you Megan?"

I nearly hacked on my candies again. _The_ Albus Dumbledore wanted to address me by my first name? Wait, since when was he _the_ Albus Dumbledore? I thought I hated him for ruining my life. Did he have this effect on everyone? Whatever. "Um, sure thing, sir."

"Just Professor is fine, Megan."

"Okay, professor." My mouth felt dry. I wished I had another lemon drop, but I had swallowed them accidentally in my previous coughing fit.

"You are a special case, Megan," Dumbledore continued. He gestured around at the interior of the Red Hat. "Such a place is not fit for a private conversation. Some of the things I need to tell you are highly confidential. The only place I feel comfortable enough to discuss in would be my office at Hogwarts. Should you accept my offer of a transfer to Hogwarts, then and only then will I tell you everything. Also, I might add, that the tuition is free for the first year, perhaps all the others too."

My jaw dropped. A whole year's worth of classes– _free?_ "Professor, isn't that playing favorites or something?" I didn't look him in the eye. "I mean, does everyone else get to go without paying anything?"

"You're special," he said, and I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Should you accept my first offer, the first year will be free. Should you accept my second, which I will explain to you once you are at Hogwarts, then all the other years will be so as well."

I couldn't help but feel curious. "Second offer?"

"All in due time, all in due time."

Dammit. Another cryptic answer.

I sighed and sat back. This was all so confusing. I felt like having a Marty McFly moment and saying "This is heavy." But I shut up. Maybe I could go for the first year (I mean, hello! Never say no to free stuff!) and if I didn't like it I could get a transfer back to Salem. And I could always refuse his second offer. I asked him if this was possible.

"Of course!" he confirmed, eyes twinkling. "Although I cannot imagine a reason why you wouldn't like it at Hogwarts, save being away from your friends of course."

"Can I talk to my parents about it, then owl you my response?" I asked quietly.

The wizard smiled and nodded. "Yes, you may. But remember, I need an answer by the seventh." He slipped a parchment onto the table in front of me. "And if you say yes, then I will need your parents to fill out this form."

I assented with my head and stood. "Thank you, Professor. Perhaps I will see you on the first of September."

"Think carefully, Megan," he said. "I do hope to see you then. Good-bye."

Eyes fixed on the form, I nodded absently and wandered back to where Aiden and Lea were sitting.

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**Please review! Even if it's just to berate me about how long you've been waiting for an update!**


	4. Decisions

**A/N: Wow. That was fast. It's kind of short and filler-y though. The next chapter will take a while more, since I don't have anything written yet and there's some actual plot happening. Enjoy!**

**Thanks for the review **BlackBloodRose64**! I have returned the favor!**

**Disclaimer: Do you really think my writing could even pass for Jo's? I thought not.

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Chapter 3  
Decisions

Four days. I had four days to decide. Not _nearly_ enough! On the one hand, there was Harry, my real family. On the other, there were Aiden and Lea, my best friends since pre-school. How was I supposed to choose?

Aiden and Lea were supportive. "You could just go for the first year." "We can make it through the year." "Just think– free tuition! And you get to go to jolly old England too." "We'll write every week." "We'll see you at Christmas!"

It didn't really help all that much. But I thought about it. For three long days, all I did was sit distracted in Paige and Storry's and stare at my book without really reading it. Lea dragged me there, but pretty much left me alone during the hour of study. She knew better than to disturb me. Quidditch was different as well. I started zoning out in the middle of the game. After getting hit in the nose with the Quaffle, Aiden and Lea dragged me home and told me to just sit and think about it in my room where nothing could hurt me.

I sighed and stared up at that yellow spot on the ceiling. Things were so messed up. Ophion came up to greet me, but didn't make any real conversation. He knew I was upset. A flickering tongue ghosted across my cheek– it his form of a comforting hand on my shoulder. After a few minutes of silence I gathered up the courage to ask.

/What d'you think, 'Phion? Should I go?/

The garden snake was quiet, but eventually he said, /I think you should./

I turned my face to look into his gleaming eyes. /Really?/

/Think about it, Megan. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Will you ever get another chance to meet him?/

I knew at once who he was talking about.

/Do I even want to meet him? I didn't grow up with him, why should I even care?/

/And you say I'm a bad liar,/ hissed Ophion. /That was weak. You do want to meet him and you know it. Even if you didn't grow up with him, you spent the first year of your life sharing the same crib. You're curious, and you want to know him. If you go to Hogwarts you can./

/I can't know him if I go, Dumbledore said I can't even tell him we're related. How dumb is that?/ I responded impatiently.

/But that doesn't mean you can't get to know him or be his friend,/ insisted the snake.

My resolve was beginning to crumble. Was Harry really worth my two best friends? But they'd still be my friends if I went, and then he'd be my friend also. I buried my face in my pillow and Ophion took that as a sign that I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I heard him murmur a good-bye and slither off the bed and out of the open bedroom window, leaving me to my thoughts.

If I decided yes, then I'd have to decide by tomorrow or else the owl wouldn't arrive in time. I felt like sleeping through the rest of the day and the next so that it would just be over and too late to decide or dwell on it. But I couldn't. My nerves wouldn't let me.

I had gotten three opinions and they'd all said they would be happy for me if I went. But I wasn't sure if I would be happy for me. One year. That's all I really had to do. Maybe. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

I sat up in bed. Marco and Dana. I'd ask them first. They would be the final opinions. I paid no mind to the fact that I already had three out of five in favor and that they would probably say yes too.

After searching the house and finding no trace of either of them, I concluded that Dana was probably gardening on the rooftop. I found her among the azaleas.

"Hey, Mom," I interrupted, kneeling down beside her.

Dana glanced up and her face, smudged with dirt, lit up. "Hi, honey. What are you doing home so early?"

Gingerly, I fingered my nose, which still smarted slightly from the Quaffle hit. "Got hit during Quidditch. I'm okay," I added quickly, seeing her eyes darken with worry. "No blood. Lea and Aiden brought me home."

"If you're sure you're okay," she said skeptically. "How're you holding up?" I could tell she wasn't talking about my nose.

I shrugged and dug a finger into the dirt at my feet absentmindedly. "I don't know. It's just such a huge decision." I looked at her through my eyelashes.

Dana nodded and refilled her watering can with a quick "_Aguamenti_." "Sweetie, you know I'll be happy whatever you choose. Sure, it would be nicer to have you closer to home. I mean, Hogwarts is in northern Scotland! But I think it would be good for you to learn more about your native culture."

"I hadn't even thought of that," I said in surprise. "I always forget I was born in England. I don't even have an accent."

"Well," said Dana, smiling widely, "if you really want my advice, I think you should go to Hogwarts. I know you, Meg. If you don't take this opportunity, you'll always be thinking 'What if?'"

I was so deep in thought, that I didn't noticed the much-hated nickname. Alright, so next up was Marco. I found him in his study, working on his modified computer that he had bought at Wires. He told me much the same thing as Dana had. He would be happy no matter what I chose. Hogwarts was a great opportunity. I could always choose to transfer back next year.

"Sweetheart, take a chance," he said, leaning over his desk and taking my hand in his. "You're one of the cleverest girls I know, but sometimes you have trouble with doing just that. This is a huge opportunity. Don't let it pass you by."

A few hours later I was filling out the form, with a glint of determination in my eye and the barest of hesitation in my scrawl. I would go to Hogwarts. I would do my best in class. I would make friends. I would keep old ones. I would learn about my heritage. And I would learn about my brother.

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**See that button right down there? Click it and leave a comment. Also, there's a poll up on my profile. What house do you think Megan should be in? I've already half made up my mind, but I would like your input.**


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